Snap-seal.



E. J. BROOKS.

SNAP SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1,1914.

1,1 07,026. Patented Aug. 11, 19m

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SNAP-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 11, 1914:.

Application filed May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Snap-Seals, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention re numerous previous improvements, to selffasteningseals, or snap seals as they are commonly termed, for use as substltutesfor lead and wire seals and other press-fastened or press-fastenablesealing devices, to se-- cure the doors of railway freight cars and forother like purposes. Recent examples of such snap seals are set forth inmy previous specifications forming part of United States Letters PatentNo. 1,030,458, patented June 25, 1912; No. 1,052,562, patentedFebruary11, 1918; No. 1,092,820, patented April'l l,

1914; and in the specifications of United States Letters Patent .No.1,056,623, patented March 18, 1918, and No. 1,093,250, patented April 11, 1914, for inventions of Winfred Mudge Brooks. The type of snap sealcommon to these specifications is distinguished by the combination of aresiliently flexible shackle having a normally flat withdrawal resistingcatch portion at each end, a two-piece bulb-shaped sea-l part having aninlet hole in its top, and a double center piece supported within saidseal part in juxtaposition to said inlet hole and having a central guideportion which protrudes therethrough; both shackle ends being furtherprovided with embossed inlet guards, and the inlet hole having a centralenlargement to admit stem portions of said inlet guards. Y

The present invention consists in an improved seal part, and an improvedcenter piece, for a snap seal of above type, as hereinafter particularlydescribed; and in an improved snap seal embodying said seal part andcenter piece or either of them.

The leading object of this invention is to further protect the sealpart, especially its slotted bulb piece, and the center piece within thesame, against being successfully tampered with in attempts to violatethe fastened seal.

Other objects will be set forth in the general description, whichfollows. a

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification, as part thereof.

rates, in common 1 with bodying I Figure 1 is a face view of the thinsteel blank of the improved center piece; Figs. 2 :and 3are'respectively top and side views of said center piece; Figs. 4 and 5are respeccomplete the improved seal as it leaves the factory; Fig. 9represents alongitudinal section through the seal part on theline A B,"Fig. 6, showing both shackle ends snap fastened; Fig. 10 represents alongitudinal section through the seal part of the fastened seal on theline C D, Fig, 6; Fig. 11 rep.- resents a cross section on theline E--F,Fig. 10, showing a bottom view of the center piece in the fastened seal;Fig. 12 is an elevation of another improved seal part illustrating asecond species of the invention.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

The improved snap seal, as shown, is com posed of an improvedbulb-shaped seal part a or of, hereinafter particularly described; aresiliently flexible shackle, Z2, preferably of the construction setforth in said Letters Patent No. 1,093,250; and an improved centerpiece, 0, hereinafter particularly described. Said seal part a or a iscomposed as heretofore of bulb pieces 1 and 2, permanently united by acircumferential seam 3 after inclosing the center piece 0, and providedwithan inlet hole 4;, in its top piece 1, adapted to admit the ends 5and 6 of the shackle 2) on the respective sides of a protruding guideportion 7 of the center piece 0, and centrally enlarged to fit inletguards 8 and 9 on the respective shackle ends; the bottom piece 2 beingfurther provided with an annular shoulder 10, upon which the centerpiece 0 is supported within the seal part. Said top piece 1 is nowfurther provided with radial stifiening corrugations l, adapted toresist bending the material adjoining the inlet hole 4 in efforts toinsert tampering devices through said hole; and said top piece 1 atleast is hardened, as represented by vertical tint linesin. Figs. 7 8and 12, to further resist such bending and also to resist opening theseal part by prying up the outer flange 3, Fig. 5, of the seam 3; whichouter flange is carried by said top piece 1 at its perimeter.

In the species represented by Figs. 1 11, the seal part a as a whole ishardened after inclosing the center piece 0; the protruding portion ofthe center piece being effectively hardened by the same operation, ashas been demonstrated by tests.

In the species represented by Fig. 12, the top piece 1 is, hardenedbefore the bulb pieces are assembled;- said seaming flange 3- retainingsuflicient pliability to. bend once in the. seamin operation, but notenough to permit saitop piece to. be pried off and replaced Withoutbreaking. The bottompiece 2, in, this species, may be of unhardenedsheet metal as, heretofore orof any material sufli'ciently strong andrigid.v The material of the bulb pieces 1. and 2 or of the top piece 1,in the respective species, may be thin steel or any suitable materialadapted to be'so hardenedorrendered, rigid by any known or improvedprocess after being molded in stamped.

The improved double center piece 0 is made from a, peculiarly out blank0, Fig. 1, by certain bends. It has, as heretofore, a central bend atthe extremity of its said guide portion 7, and, four bends 11, 12, 13,14, at its bottom, in oppositely deflected pairs, which rest on saidshoulder 10 within the seal part. Shoulders 1 adjoining said guideportion 7. limit the protrusion of the latter. It is adapted tointerlock with withdrawal resisting shoulders 15, 16, and to catch hole17 at each shackle end as heretofore, but by oblique edges 15 16 tointeract with said shoulders 15, 16, respectively, and sharp pointedinturned spring catches 17 to interact with the catch holes 17,diflering some what from previous forms; the improved center piece beingso cut, as shown in Fig. 1, as to form guard portions 18,19, adjoiningthe diagonally opposite bends12 and 14:, respectively, and nearly alinedwith each other in the bent center piece, which help to insure theinterlocking of said shackle shoulders 15 and 16 of each shackle endwith said oblique center piece edges 15" and 16 respectively, andrespectively inside and outside of the double lower portion of thecenter piece, also to prevent interference between the shackle ends 5and 6 at the fastening operation, and to prevent successfully tamperingwith the fastened seal. Compare Figs. 1, 3 and 11. Serrati'ons 20adjoining each of said catches 17 assist in resisting attempts to pickthe seal, and this is further guarded against by a twist of the centralguide portion 7, relatively to the wings 21 and 22 of the center piece,which is represented in Figs. 2 and 3.

Those features of the shackle b which have not been mentioned are aprojection 18 concave shackle extremities 21 the spring catches 17; andthe lettering or distinguishing marks ed by 700000 and A. B. C. D. RY.in Fig. 8. These last mentioned features of the :preferred, shackle 7)form no part of the pres atthe back of the inlet guard S on the shackleend 5; inspection holes 19 with flanking ribs 20 at both ends of theshackle; to engage customary representent invention, and may obviouslybe omitted; the shackle may be made of any suitable material; and otherlike modifications will suggest: themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention, anddesire to patent under this specification:

1. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, in combinationwith a resiliently flexible shackle both, ends of which are providedwith. fastening members and inlet guards, and a center piece adapted tointerlock therewitha bulb-shaped seal part, inclosing said center piece,having a bulb piece slotted to form. a centrally enlarged inlet hole inits top fitted to said shackle ends and inlet. guards, and provided withstiffening corrugations radial to the central enlarge ment of said inlethole.

2. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, the combinationwith a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided withcatch shoulders, and a bull shaped seal part; having an inlet hole inits top fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosedwithin said seal part and constructed with inner and outer oblique edgesadapted to interlock with the respective shoulders of each shackle end,and guard portions behind said outer oblique edges respectively adaptedto insure interlocking said shoulders therewith.

3. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, the combinationwith a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided withcatch shoulders, and a bulbshaped seal part having an inlet hole in itstop fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosedwithin said seal part and constructed with inner and outer oblique edgesadapted to interlock with the rcspective shoulders of each shackle end,and guard portions behind said outer oblique edges respectivelyextending downward to the bottom. of'the center piece and alined witheach other; said guard portions being adapted to insure interlockingsaid shackle shoulders with the appropriate edges of the center piece,and to prevent interference between the shackle ends at the fasteningoperation.

4. An improved snap seal having, in combination, a resiliently flexibleshackle both ends of which are provided with catch shoulders and catchholes, a bulb shaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top fitted tosaid shackle ends, and a resilient center piece in- "will spectiveshackleends, said guide portion be- 10 ing twisted with reference tosaid Wings to resist tampering With said catches, substantially ashereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MOORE, GEO. J. WENK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Iatemu, Washington, D. 0.

